India's solar sector a big opportunity, could become exporter to Europe: Renewables Norway CEO

New Delhi, The largest impetus to India's renewable energy sector comes from the enormous growth in solar power, which is significant for global climate action, and also for countries like Norway, a top representative of Renewables Norway has said.

Speaking to PTI Videos, Bard Vegar Solhjell, CEO of Fornybar Norge (Renewables Norway) highlighted that if India can develop manufacturing capacity across the value chain, from rare earth minerals to solar wafers and cells, it could become an exporter to European nations like Norway.

A delegation from Norway, led by Solhjell, is currently visiting India, holding meetings with government officials, industry members, research institutions and other stakeholders as part of engagement between the two countries on clean energy.


"I've visited India three times, and it's an absolutely remarkable country. In Norway's renewable energy sector, we represent the industry as a whole. That makes India a compelling market not just for solar, hydro, and offshore wind companies, but also provides a chance to better understand the role India plays in global energy transition as the third-largest developer of renewables," Solhjell, the former environment minister of Norway, told PTI.

He underscored that during meetings with Indian ministries and think tanks, discussions have centred on energy transition, particularly on India's role in it.

Solhjell noted that India is now asserting its energy security far more strongly than before, and said opportunities and challenges shaping the market were also discussed, with solar power paired with battery storage and status of the transmission grid, figuring prominently.

"We also identify areas of shared interest between India and Norway, offshore wind being one example. Both countries are still in the early stages, it may be costly today, but it's likely to become a key part of our energy future. As two ocean nations, I think we should be working even more closely together on offshore wind," the Fornybar Norge CEO said.

Speaking about challenges, he noted that India faces the same hurdle every country runs into while scaling up variable power capacity -- storage and the grid, with transmission emerging as a clear bottleneck, as most stakeholders they meet point out.

Storage remains a key challenge, he said, noting that this could be an area where the two countries' interests align, since pumped hydro storage, one of the options India is building into its system, "is something Norway knows well, with 90 per cent of its electricity coming from hydropower and storage long being a core part of its energy transition".

The delegation, which includes representatives from Norwegian renewable energy companies, has travelled to Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to gain first-hand insights into India's rapidly evolving renewable energy sector.

Norway's Ambassador to India May-Elin Stener highlighted that Norway, despite being a small country, is an "energy superpower", having produced oil and gas since the early 1970s and hydropower for about 100 years, with the country's electricity coming almost entirely from hydropower.

"Our experience with oil and gas has also pushed us to explore new solutions for the energy transition and for the future. As a result, we have companies with excellent, high-tech solutions that are now looking to scale up here in India, and they need partners to do it with," Stener said.

From Delhi, the delegation travelled to Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, meeting both Norwegian and Indian partners, stakeholders and subject experts. They undertook field visits to renewable energy projects, solar manufacturing facilities, and also a major port.